Now here's a pretty face

Pabst competes in the World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair on Friday, June 26, 2009, in Petaluma, Calif. The toothy 4-year-old Boxer mix won top honors.(Photo Credit: Noah Berger)

Beloved Search Dog is Cloned Five Times

Former officer's beloved search-and-rescue dog lives on in five clones

James Symington's essay about his deceased German shepherd wins him five free cloned puppies in a contest sponsored by a bioengineering firm

The former Halifax, Canada, police officer's partner, Trakr, died in April. But on Wednesday, Symington took home five clones of the German shepherd as the winner of a contest run by a business that does stem-cell research and microengineering.

In his career as a search-and-rescue dog, Trakr helped recover more than $1 million in stolen goods and sniffed out the final survivor in the rubble of the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Symington choked back tears as he described his relationship with Trakr, who was by his side for 15 years.

"I always knew he'd be with me as long as I needed him," Symington said. "I think he waited and made sure the time was right."

Symington said he named the puppies after Trakr's qualities: Trustt, Valor, Solace, Prodigy and Deja Vu.

He said he hopes the animals will contribute to society just as Trakr did.

The dogs were cloned for Symington after he submitted an essay for a contest called the "Golden Clone Giveaway" run by BioArts International, a Northern California company.

MORE...

Photography from the National Geographic

Photo Credit: Josh Exell

National Geographic is absolutely known for their astonishing and beautiful photography and they have a portion of their website dedicated to sharing some of their very best images with the public.

Their main headings include: Photo Galleries, Wallpapers, Photo of the Day, Photographers, Photo Tips, and Buy Prints.

You can also "Browse Photos by Topic" in these categories:
Adventure & Exploration
Best Of
History
Life in Color
People & Culture
Travel
Photo Camp
Latest News Photos
Animals
Black & White
Landscapes
Nature & Weather
Science & Space
Underwater
Patterns in Nature
Photography Videos

Then, they also have "special" caegories like "Drives of a Lifetime Photo Gallery" and Best of Photo of the Day.

And lots, lots more! This website is an absolute must-see.